The Giant's Toy
by Nanchih
Summary: A traditional Astronomy story set in Hogwarts. I think you'll like my Sybill Trelawney! The question is; what does Hermione think about Astronomy? I think she grows up to become an Astronomer!


"The Giant's Toy"  
An Amusing Tale, Nov 2015

Not making any money from the Harry Potter set, just playing in the sandbox. All HP is owned and copywrighted by J. R. Rowling

Hermione sat at her desk in her dorm, too excited to sleep though it was already very late. She pulled down some paper and a pen, and began to write. "Dear Mom and Dad, Tonight we had our first Outside Astronomy class, but it was more than that. Apparently, the third year Divination class always joins us in the first dark-of-the-moon class. It may have been the most amazing class I have ever been to..."

Inside Hogwarts, even the windows of the Great Hall were covered with drapes; lamps and candles were steadily dimming to night light levels, but no one was asleep. From the outside, the castle was almost dark. At the top of the Astronomy tower, Dumbledore, in a midnight blue robe dusted with tiny stars, was joined by Sybill Trelawney in her normal spangled shawls and veils, and the sensible Astronomy teacher Aurora Sinistra in a gray pantsuit covered with Ravenclaw blue-and-bronze robes. Along the Forbidden Forest treeline sharp eyes could spot the Centaurs with their foals, the Unicorns with theirs, and deer slipping out to feed, unafraid. Floating, still upon the waters of the Black Loch, the Giant Squid could be seen with his many arms, each spread with merfolk and their children. Hagrid was a large shadow seated near his hut, holding his dog Fang.

Above, the stars blazed in the dark sky, providing the only light. Oddly, everything was clear to the children's eyes; even those on the ground could see the teachers on the tower clearly. "Mage light," whispered one third-year to the younger ones. It was nearly midnight, the lingering late night light of the Scottish Summer gone for a few brief hours. Even though it was still Fall, the air was chill at night. The Divination class was seated around the perimeter of the high platform, wrapped in warmed cloaks. The shivering Firsties who knew no warming charms clustered below them, huddled together against the stone walls. On the grounds far below more cloaked students could be seen grouping in the open courtyard.

Dumbledore touched his wand to his throat and chanted "viva voce," the teachers softly echoing him. Now the students and witnesses on the grounds could hear every word spoken, not as in a stadium, but normally, as though the teacher were speaking right next to them.

Sinistra spoke first, "Tonight, as we do on this night every year, we are going to tell all of you a story. It is one of the oldest stories in the world, known in some version in almost every culture. The story is known in Astronomy as 'The Giant's Toy', and that is the version you will hear tonight.

Long ago there was a Giant, alone and bored. We know a few things about him - he was Lapis Blue in colour, and he lived in the North beyond the stars. He decided to make a toy for his amusement, a musical ball. First, he set a glowing ball of light and fire."

Now Dumbledore pointed above the tower and said, "Sol", and a tiny but clear Sun appeared. Not a styalized ball, but a clear burning coal, churning with looping arms of flame that did not give off heat, or in fact any more light. It hung above the tower, over the yard, easily visible from the grounds and the darkened windows. Each time you looked at it, there was a deep, but not loud, sound.

Sinistra's voice continued, "He layered a series of spheres, each clear and permeable. Each sphere bore a different object, each a different musical tone: tiny ones high and quick, larger ones deep and strong. Many had accompanying smaller objects circling in a chime of sound. We call these 'Planets,' and 'moons;' asteroids and comets and all the other objects of space swarm and chime among the major notes."

As she spoke, Dumbledore continued to point, and tiny celestial objects appeared in a neat line, spheres blinking into being one at a time before becoming invisible. Each miniature planet shone its separate colors, with shining rings appearing around several including Saturn. Past Mars, there was an unknown planet before Jupiter.

As he did this, one more person began moving. Trelawney stepped out and began to walk unconcerned up the side of the steeple. As she walked she raised her arms high, her veils and bangles spread into the air - and hung as great wings, gossamer, lit from within and shining with more tiny stars. She reached the top point of the spire and stepped straight into the air, gliding unconcerned along the line of Dumbledore's objects. Her feet were bare, her movements graceful, and her great eyes surrounded with jewels suddenly did not look strange at all. Now, Trelawney began to speak.

"He encased the entire toy with a final sphere to protect it. In that sphere he placed thousands of tiny holes, so that he could easily look inside to watch and hear his toy." Above her, the stars blazed brightly, for a moment overwhelming all other light. Then they sank back to normal.

"But, he was not quite done. As his final step, he set the whole sphere spinning with a great sweep of his hand!" She spun in the air, and all the objects, including the very stars, began spinning with her! To the children's surprise, the mystery planet beyond Mars suddenly shattered, spreading sparkling dust into a great ring in its orbit between Mars and Jupiter. The air was filled with chiming music, with the tones greater or lesser depending on exactly which planets you were nearest. After a moment it quieted, so that you had to listen hard to hear it at all.

Sinistra spoke again, "Astronomers have, for many years, been calculating the orbits of the planets, with the goal of determining the age of the Universe. If we could calculate the years backward until all the seven planets lined up on the First Point of Aries - they must be in the order: Saturn, Sol, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus, we could calculate the beginning of time, until they all will do so again and time starts over. Current estimates run from twentyfive thousand, seven hundred years, upward. It is quite a challenging puzzle."

Hermione simply loved challenging academic puzzles! She sat straighter in her sheltered corner. The redhead next to her seemed to be asleep, as he slumped down to take up the warmed space.

Trelawney's voice, silvery and musical here in the night air, brought comments for her beginning Diviners; "Remember, when we get to the crystal balls, think of the Giant's Toy. Our balls represent us looking IN, not out as the Astronomers do, using the Inner Eye to pierce the shells and See what is happening."

Dumbledore spoke again. "That's all for tonight. It is late, you are cold. Go to bed, and dream." The great Orrery above them flared bright, and faded into starlight. The lights came back up in the castle, illuminating the stairs and doors.

Hermione's letter continued: "So, do you know this story? Can you send me some Astronomy books that cover it? I think I may love Astronomy! Love, Hermione. She put this in an envelope, to take to the mail owls in the morning.

A day later, a large owl landed on Hermione's morning plate, exhausted. It carried both a bundle of books and a letter. Hermione offered the bird her juice and gave it all her bacon, while she went right to the letter.

"Dear daughter,

Your teacher with the Irish name, Trelawney, may be of the race called 'Sidhe', or 'Fae'. They do not use magic - they ARE magic. The English might call them 'High Elves', but according to Tolkien they are dwindling and rarely seen. Traditionally, being a Seer, even a little bit, is an indication of Fae blood. Your school certainly has an interesting Staff!

We have signed you up for the A-levels course in Astronomy. That will fill this year's Science requirement. Here are some books so you can get started before the texts arrives: Plato, Aristotle, and Ptolemy; (the "Elementary Epipicycle Workbook" is backordered.) We'll get you a better telescope for here at home, and a pass for the London Planetarium.

Yes, we know this story, and you do as well. The Sumerians, Babylonians, Greeks and Egyptians, and many others wrote of the stars being the eyes of the Gods. The Jews were the ones to record the giant was blue, though the Norse also told of blue giants beyond the stars. Your father prefers the Bible verse - 'In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.'"


End file.
